OK Nick, you can fuck off again now….

As was to be expected, the fallout from Nick Griffins appearance on Question Time continues apace. Those who favour a ‘no platform’ policy with regards to the BNP have looked upon the subsequent media coverage of the event to claim that the BBC were in fact wrong to invite Griffin onto the programme; and that events during the past two days validate this view.

A YouGov poll in today’s edition of  The Times indicates that 22% of people in this country would ‘seriously consider’ voting for the far-right party in an upcoming election. Let’s just look at that: 1 in 5 people asked would ’seriously consider’ voting for the BNP – that’s consider, not WILL vote for the BNP. Eight Million people watched Question Time on Thursday night; as a result, I’m not at all surprised that support for Griffin and his dubious friends received a little boost, this is to be expected, and hopefully over the coming weeks this will reduce significantly. Of course, this poll makes a great headline, but let’s not forget the other 78% of voters in this country who would hopefully NEVER consider voting for that pathetic bunch of fascist fuckwits.

I still think that the BBC were right to include Griffin on the programme. Those who favour ‘no platform’, including Peter Hain, look upon this as a massive early Christmas present for the BNP, providing them with massive exposure, and possibly leading to a large increase in their overall support. The answer to this is very simple; by censoring Griffin and the BNP, the media storm does not in fact dissipate – it remains and it makes a martyr out of Griffin to his misguided supporters. You see, with a character such as Griffin, you really can’t win; if you invite him to speak on Question Time he claims he was bullied; if you don’t, he’ll claim he’s being censored by the ‘liberal elite’. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s far better to let the fascists make absolute fucking fools of themselves. Personally I’m just as concerned about the lies and filth peddled every week in the Daily Mail and Express.

The way in which we react to the BNP in the coming weeks and  months is vital. Let Griffin have his five minutes in the spotlight, this will soon fade. There is a view that says that you can’t reason with a racist – this might be true enough, however, through debate and conversation, we can hopefully persuade all but the most hard-core BNP supporter not to vote for them in the future.

There is undoubtably a huge task ahead of the major political parties to reconnect with those voters who have unfortunatly drifted towards the BNP and their policies of hate and division. It may be that Labour has the most work to do here, especially in the North and the Midlands. However, it would be misguided and wrong to lay the blame squarely at Labours door. Yet, this is what certain Tories are now trying to do; Iain Dale has kicked things off  in predictable fashion on his blog by claiming that Labour are responsible for the ‘rise of the BNP’. This was followed up by an appalling performance by Nadine Dorries last night on Radio 4’s ‘Any Questions’, during which, she launched into what can only be described as a hesterical rant on the subject, the end result of which ended with Jacqui Smith asking her to ‘calm down’. Typical behaviour from Dorries I’m afraid – continuing to live in her own little fantasy world.

The responsibility to tackle the BNP remains with all of us, regardless of which political party we follow or support. All of us have a duty to protect and nurture the fair and tollerant society in which we live, and it is pathetic and unfair of the Tories to suggest otherwise.

Griffin: “I’m not a Nazi….” REALLY!?!?

So, now that the dust has settled, and with the whiff of moral indignation still heavy in the air, I suppose now is as good as time as any to discuss my thoughts following the appearance of Nick Griffin on last nights Question Time.

To be honest, I’m still in two minds. As things go, I thought that it went as well as we could have hoped for. Prior to transmission I would admit to being rather concerned as to how the evening would pan out. The last thing I wanted was for the nasty little Nazi to be given the opportunity to spout a load of populist nonsense with regards to the topics of the day.

As it turned out this did not happen. As I’m sure many of us expected, Griffin came across as the narrow-minded, evil little racist that he’s always been. Nothing he said last night could have changed that. From the very start he appeared completely out of his depth amongst the other panelists, he spluttered and squirmed his way through a series of questions, dropping in a few hideous and disgraceful comments along the way.

As for the other panelists; on the whole I thought they performed rather well. Each one contributed and played their part in Griffins downfall, although, let’s be honest, Griffin is such a fool, he needs no help.

Of course, today, Griffin has now come out complaining about his unfair treatment on the programme, in fact saying that he was a victim of a ‘lynch mob’. The irony of this is surely not lost on us. After all, this is the same man who shared a platform with KKK leader David Duke, and who last night described that vile organisation as almost ‘totally non-violent’. True to form, Griffin then questioned the choice of London as a venue for the programme.

He told Sky News today that:

“That audience was taken from a city that is no longer British … That was not my country any more. Why not come down and do it in Thurrock, do it in Stoke, do it in Burnley? “Do it somewhere where there are still significant numbers of English and British people [living], and they haven’t been ethnically cleansed from their own country.” He added: “There is not much support for me there [in London], because the place is dominated by ethnic minorities. There is an ethnic minority that supports me: the English. But there’s not many of them left.”

This is typical Griffin, and a good example of the insidious way in which the BNP attempt to worm their way into society by playing on the fears and worries of those who feel disenfranchised not only with modern politics, but also with life in this country.

Griffins gang of fascist supporters will of course now rally behind their bullied leader. No sooner had the programme finished then claims were coming out from the BNP bunker about increased website traffic, and increased membership interest. By the way, this is despite the fact that their membership levels have in fact decreased over the past two years.

Last night proved once and for all that the ‘no platform’ idea does not and will never work. As much as I loath Griffin and all that he stands for, I’m more than happy for him to make a complete and utter fucking fool of himself on national television. Once and for all we need to understand that we can not defeat the BNP by censorship. You will not defeat the BNP by following a policy of ‘no platform’, and, most importantly, you will never defeat the BNP by holding violent protests and trying to invade the BBC. Words over violence is the only way forward; you beat the BNP by the strength of our ideas. You beat the BNP by exposing the truth, uncovering the many lies, by laying waste to the hatred and disgust that the fascists have for our open and tolerant society.

Violence breeds violence. As comrades, together in a common cause, we must take every single opportunity to expose these people for what they really are. The truth is a far more damaging and lasting deterrent to the preachers of hate, far more damaging then throwing eggs and fighting on the streets of our towns and cities. One again the UAF are way off the mark; not a week goes by without them setting our cause back, and in the process creating more sympathy for the likes of Griffin. As has happened in the past, the leadership and supporters of the UAF fail to adapt or move forward – too stuck in their ways, with their rigid, dogmatic code of no platform. When will they finally understand that the tired old ways of protest simply do not work anymore. It is time to evolve, to move forward, to use our brains and not our fists.

If last night showed us anything, it was that Griffin hasn’t changed, and his party will never change, and the fight against the fascists is far from over. There could be dark days ahead, but never forget: WE are in the right. We live in a tolerant and diverse country, I’m proud to say that I still have faith in the people of this country to do the right thing. The great people of this country will not fall for Griffin’s racist bile. Together, we can defeat the BNP; together we can create a society where those holding fascist views are confined to the dustbin, along with all the other extremists who try to spread fear and hatred. We must not, and will not let them win.

Pete Roe (Birmingham 29/9/09)

Also supporting Mumford and Sons at the Glee Club last night was singer/songwriter  Pete Roe – he’s bloody good as well. He even reminded me a little bit of my all time hero – John Martyn.

Take a look…..

Mumford and Sons (Birmingham 29/9/09)

Excellent gig at the Glee Club, Birmingham last night; and even better value for money, ticket prices were only £6.00. Bloody good considering we got to see the wonderful Mumford and Sons as well as two support acts.

Throw in a great, up for it Birmingham crowd and a wonderful night was had by all – the band obviously really enjoyed it as well judging by the banter coming from the stage.

If you get the  chance to see them in the near future, DO IT!! Failing that, their debut album is released next Monday, (5/10/09), by Island Records…..

While we’re at it, you should also take a look one of the support acts from last night, Sons of Noel and Adrian.

St. Nadine

Earlier this week, I thought it might be a good idea to remind people about the disturbing Christian fundamentalist friends and organisations linked to Nadine Dorries, the Conservative MP. I need not have worried- true to form, Ms Dorries has yet again provided us with another prime example as to why politics and religion do not, and should not ever mix.

In her latest blog post she manages to berate the Bishop of Liverpool for being ’slightly too political’. Then in the same breath accuses him of not speaking up on Christian matters that also have an impact on the political world.

Of course, this all comes down to the abortion issue yet again. Ms Dorries is ‘amazed’ that Church of England Bishops do not speak our more with regards to the ‘big questions’. This is obviously in comparison with the more evangelical forms of Christianity that Ms Dorries prefers. For example, as I’ve mentioned previously we know that Ms Dorries has worked closely with groups such as Christian Concern for our Nation; and that through Ms Dorries these fundamentalist groups have received unprecedented access to Parliament – access that most other hard line religious groups could only dream of.

To clarify: I really don’t care about an individuals personal religious views – you should be free to worship or believe in anything you want. What I do find disturbing is when a publicly elected member of parliament allows her own religious views to colour her public duties. Worse still is the fact that Ms Dorries allows herself to be publicly associated with fundamentalist groups.

As Alastair Campbell once famously said – “We don’t do God”. Guess what? He was right as well  - David Cameron would do well to remember that.

Music is a Princess

More from the new Prefab Sprout album Let’s Change the World With Music. This is one of my favourite tracks on the album at the moment – a classic Paddy McAloon song, complete with wonderful, heartfelt lyrics.

Music is a Princess……

The Danger of Dorries

Another week goes by, and as sure as night follows day, Nadine Dorries continues to fail to engage brain before mouth. Last week, via her blog, (essential reading as always), and now on Twitter, she continued to maintain her unchallenged claim of being the Walter Mitty of politics.

We all watched last week as Nadine basically lied about the TUC’s call to ban high heels in the workplace.We all watched as she attempted to whip up a media storm for her own publicity seeking self.

All of which brings us to Nadine’s latest blog post regarding Iran, and Ahmadinejad’s holocaust denials. What starts out as a fairly balanced piece, calling for greater support of the opposition movement, ends with Nadine calling for pre-emptive strikes against key installations.

No one wants to see an ancient Persia with its people and history in danger. However, no sensible person wants to see the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty broken after 40 years, or a bomb in Ahmadinejad’s hands.

It may be that sanctions are necessary, it may also be that these will be coupled with air strikes of critical installations.

We are nearer and nearer to such a reality each day.

It is a terrifying unedifying thought and one that could be avoided if those within Iran who wish to topple the regime were given more support from outside.

So, more sound and fury signifying nothing? Or, should we once again look more closely at the people and organisations behind Nadine Dorries?

In May 2008, Dorries was featured in a Channel 4 edition of Dispatches. The episode, “In Gods Name”, investigated various aspects of the fundamentalist Christian movement in this country – much of which was centred around the group Christian Concern for our Nation. This group was effectively using Dorries as a mouthpiece in the build up to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. In a blog post at the time, I questioned the viability of an elected member of parliament allowing a fundamentalist group access to parliament. A group that not only opposes gay rights and homosexuality in general, but also declares Islam to be a ‘false religion’.

Yet again, I fear that Dorries is actively pursuing an anti-Islamic agenda – pushed forward by not only CCFON, but also by their sister organisation, the Christian Legal Centre . As before, the link is Andrea Minichiello Williams , a key advisor to Dorries, and a woman who quite openly describes herself as a fundamentalist.

Here they are together last year. This clip is so disturbing it’s almost laughable.

I could be clutching at straws here, after all, it is very easy to mock Dorries and her often ridiculous comments. However, it is important to consider what could happen should the Tories gain power next year – politicians such as Dorries will not be sidelined by Cameron, and as such we should be very, very fearful of a swing to the right by the Tories.

A move that could not only lead to  greater religious and sexual intolerance, but could also put thousands of women at risk following a potential change in this countries abortion laws.

We must not let that happen.

Is she really going out with him?

So, as we enter the party conference season once again, I’ve been slightly amused this weekend by the sight of both the Lib Dems and the Tories both trying to woo each others supporters. Perhaps it’s just me, but this seems ever so slightly sleazy – like trying to hit on the girlfriend of someone you don’t particularly like very much, just because you can.

The main difference here of course is that whilst ‘Nasty Nick Clegg’ has come out fighting, describing Cameron as a ‘con man’, in a bid to gain support from dubious Tory voters, Cameron has today appealed directly to the Clegg and his colleagues by pointing out just how similar the two parties really are on policy and their alleged progressive agenda.

Anyone who has read Cameron’s editorial in todays edition of The Observer cannot have failed to have been surprised at the content – Cameron positioning the Tories and Lib Dems as brothers in arms in the fight against Labour.

Take this example:

There’s barely a cigarette paper between us in all these areas. It’s clear: the real enemy of progressive politics is not the Conservatives and I would not claim it is the Liberal Democrats. In truth, it is the bureaucratic, backward-looking, big state government that Labour epitomises. That is why at our conference, instead of trying to create some artificial dividing lines between Liberal Democrat policy and Conservative policy, my message will be: if you want rid of Gordon Brown and the big brother state, and if you care about our schools, our quality of life and our liberties, then join us in one national movement that can bring real change.

It’s easy to read between the lines and see the subtext here – what appears to be an olive branch thrust towards Clegg, is in fact saying, “Join us if you want, although it doesn’t really matter either way, seeing as a large proportion of Lib Dem voters will support us anyway just to remove Labour”

As usual, this the typical sort of slick behaviour that I have come to expect from Cameron; and let’s be honest here, he’s bloody good at it – unfortunately however, the sincerity is all but missing.

How can there possibly be a coalition between the two parties, when their positions on taxation are so very different?

Clegg’s tactics are different – the talk this weekend of  savage cuts , is clearly designed to position the Lib Dems as being braver and more honest than the Tories, who, as usual are unable to back up their shouting with any substance visible to the human eye. The same could be said of the Lib Dem proposals with regards to tuition fees – an obvious overture to Tory voters, and one that has ruffled some feathers amongst the Lib Dem faithful.

Will any of this make any difference though? As I see it, the only winners here are the Tories. Even at this stage, there are many Tory voters who are still unconvinced by Cameron, and possibly to a greater degree by his sidekick George Osborne – however, do we really expect these people to suddenly vote for the Lib Dems? Come next years general election, all those Tory voters will come out in droves if it means removing Brown from power.

Try as they might, the Lib Dems will not benefit from this.

Maybe So, Maybe No

I first heard Mayer Hawthorne earlier this summer, and to be honest, I was totally blown away. I wasn’t sure if what I was listening to was a cover version, or even an old track from the early 1970’s. What I didn’t know at the time was that Mayer Hawthorne was in fact a multi-instrumentalist coming out of Detroit, and based very much in the here and now….

So, here is the video for ‘Maybe So, Maybe No’ - one of my tracks of 2009.

The song is taken from the album ‘A Strange Arrangement’ – out now on Stones Throw Records .

Fascist Followers of Fashion

As summer crawls away and the nights begin to draw in, one question begs to be answered – just what will your average, fashion conscious fascist be wearing this Autumn? Well, the answer lies on the BNP website.

Yes, this year, all the best dressed Nazi scum fucks can wear the new BNP range of anti-Islamic t-shirts at the bargain price of only £10.oo each! Wow! Who could refuse such a fantastic offer!? Certainly not the brain dead members of the English Defence League, whom the BNP are obviously targeting.

Although, as we all know; there really is no connection between the  BNP and the EDL, and to suggest so would just be really, really silly….

Yeah right…